The Devil's Harvest part 2

Chapter five

The next morning

Deaq and Van showed up at the Candy Store at the same time. Van ran over to Deaq as he got out of his car.

"Hey."

"Hey." Deaq said yawning.

"Didn't get enough sleep?" Van said grinning.

"Guess not."

"Well, next time get some sleep instead of staying up all night watching my building."

"You knew?"

"Yeah." Van said smiling.

"So you were in there taking it easy, relaxing, eating, while I was outside miserable?"

"Yep."

"Well thanks a lot. The least you could have done was order me a pizza."

"Hey, I wasn't suppose to know you were there." Van patted Deaq on the back and headed for the Candy Store's door.

Inside, they headed straight for Billie who was sitting at her desk. She looked up, clearly relieved to see them.

"Well it's nice you finally decided to check in." She looked back and forth between them. "You seem to have gotten your color back." She said to Van.

"Yeah, I took it easy yesterday and had a good meal."

"Well I wish one of you would have called and told me you were released. I went to the hospital yesterday and was told you checked yourself out."

"You didn't call her?" Deaq asked turning to Van.

"I was going to but…I guess I fell asleep and slept through the night."

"I really wanted you to say a few days, just so they could check you out thoroughly."

"Billie, Deaq told me what had happened to me. I can't explain it either but…I'm fine. There is nothing wrong with me."

"You told him everything?" Billie looked at Deaq.

"Yeah Billie."

"I thought we were going to do that together when we were sure he was okay?"

"It's not Deaq's fault Billie, I made him tell me."

"Well I wish you would have stayed in the hospital and just rested for awhile."

"The doctor examined me in the morning and said I was fine. Good as new." He said smiling.

Billie glanced over at Deaq.

"He seems fine to me Billie." He assured her.

As far as she could tell Van looked and acted like his old self. She couldn't believe only a few days ago she was looking at his mutilated body. She wondered if it had been some kind of sick illusion or something. Maybe they would never know.

"Well then we still have a murderer out there and we need everyone we can out on the streets looking for him. How do you feel about getting back out there?"

"The sooner the better Billie." Van said.

"Yeah, let's get these freaks." Deaq added.

"I don't understand what happened the other day, maybe we never will, but I want you both to watch your backs and stay together. Everything you do, you do together." She handed them a picture of Jason that she had pulled from the police file to show on the streets. "I'm not expecting you to be together twenty four / seven but when you go home at night lock your doors and stay in. I want you to take turns picking each other up, and when you're on the streets you don't leave each other's side. Understood?"

"We'll be careful Billie, don't worry." Van said.

Outside the Candy Store

"Well where do we begin?" Deaq asked. "Jason's home?"

"Nah, Jason's house is under surveillance, I don't think he'll go back."

"Then how 'bout we get some breakfast over near where he lives and maybe someone there might know him or know one of his friends and can give us a lead."

"It's worth a try."

Morgan's Diner

They pulled in at a small restaurant a few blocks from where Jason lived and sat down at a small table. When the waitress came over Deaq ordered eggs and bacon and Van ordered coffee. They showed her Jason's picture and were told he had eaten there once in a while but always by himself and she didn't know of any friends that he might have. She said she was sorry she couldn't help, then gave them coffee and went to place Deaq's order.

"That's all you're having, coffee?" Deaq asked.

"I'm not hungry."

"Hey, you got to keep up your strength partner." Deaq said as he reached for a newspaper lying on an empty table next to them.

"I'm fine, but for some reason even the thought of food turns my stomach right now."

"Well if that continues you better tell the doctor, maybe he can give you something."

"It's no big deal, probably just smelling that hospital food turned me off it for a while."

Deaq gave a little laugh as he started reading the headlines.

"Probably, that stuff is pretty bad." He said then folded the paper in half when he saw something that interested him. "Now why would someone do that?" He said as he read the article.

"What?"

"Some one broke into the hospital's blood bank and stole about ten bags of blood. What would they want with all that blood?" Deaq shook his head as he went onto another article.

Van swallowed hard and sat back in his chair as a cold chill shot through him. Images of going to the hospital and pulling out his small lock picking kit flashed through his mind. He took a deep breath as he remembered picking the lock and shoving as many bags of blood as he could into his duffle bag. His hands shook as he reached for his coffee. He squeezed his eyes shut but couldn't shut out the memories of opening one of the bags at home and pouring it into a glass then drinking it. He quickly put the coffee down but not before splashing the hot contents on his hand. What the hell is happening to me? He wondered.

TBC